Semi-final one is done and dusted, and the first four acts have made it to Saturday’s final. With Chanel, Tanxugueiras, Blanca Paloma and Varry Brava confirmed for the final, it’s now time to look to Semi-Final 2. You can watch it live on the RTVE Play web site from 22:40 CET.
Unlike Semi-Final 1, there are no controversial drop-outs this time around and all seven confirmed acts will be competing in some capacity. We say in “some capacity” because Gonzalo Hermida won’t be able to sing live. That’s after he tested positive for Covid earlier this week. But he is still in the race and his music video will be played during what would have been his live performance.
We received a total of 5,093 votes. Based on this, our readers four qualifiers are Rayden, Rigoberta Bandini, Xeinn and Javiera Mena.
This of course means our readers would knock out Sara Deop, Marta Sango and Gonzalo Hermida.
Which four acts should qualify from Semi Final 2?
- Rayden – “Calle de la llorería” | 24.27%, 1,236 votes
- Rigoberta Bandini – “Ay mamá” | 23.31%, 1,187 votes
- Xeinn – “Eco” | 18.06%, 920 votes
- Javiera Mena – “Culpa” | 14.84%, 756 votes
- Sara Deop – “Make you say” | 7.68%, 391 votes
- Marta Sango – “Sigues en mi mente” | 7.44%, 379 votes
- Gonzalo Hermida – “Quién lo diría” | 4.40%, 224 votes
Total Votes: 5,093
Spanish Poll
Of course, the nation’s favourite for months has been Rigoberta Bandini with her song “Ay Mama”. Would our poll look different if we focus on the votes from Spanish IP addresses?
Yes, apparently. If we only count the votes from Spain, Rigoberta tops the vote with over 25% of all those cast. The other three qualifiers remain the same with Rayden coming in second, Xeinn in third and Javiera Mena again in fourth.
The only other difference is that Marta Sango replaces Sara Deop as fifth favourite.
- Rigoberta Bandini – “Ay mamá” | 25.91%, 385 votes
- Rayden – “Calle de la llorería” | 22.68%, 337 votes
- Xeinn – “Eco” | 17.77% 264 votes
- Javiera Mena – “Culpa” | 15.14%, 225 votes
- Marta Sango – “Sigues en mi mente” | 9.49%, 141 votes
- Sara Deop – “Make you say” | 5.11%, 76 votes
- Gonzalo Hermida – “Quién lo diría” | 3.90%, 58 votes
Total Votes: 1,486
Who do you think will make it out of Semi-Final 2? Let us know in the comments box below.
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out of tune
agree
It was an appropriate top 3 for me. I loved the passion in Rigoberta’s performance, I loved the unexpected heavy metal band realness from Rayden and Xeinn had some excellent 80s vibes going on. Saturday night is going to be very entertaining!
Because that’s against the law here. Positive test = confinement for a minimum of seven days.
OK, for me it’s Rayden or Blanca Paloma now.
I am very happy that Gonzalo made it! 🙂 Thank you, demoscopic jury, and also televoting!
Congrats to Rigoberta. Expected, but I’m getting okay with that. It was a cool performance. Rayden is awesome, and deservingly in the finals. I hoped for more points, but okay. It’s not like I see Rigoberta not winning at this point. And Xeinn… it was not a flawless performance by any means, but at least it’s a fun song.
Rigoberta´s song giving of 100% TERF vibes tho
Another bottom 5 for Spain if they choose Ay mama
We won’t see Javiera Mena in the final.. ;(
Prediction: Rigoberta will win Benidorm and Wiwi’s post about it will get 800+ comments by Sunday morning.
I don’t know even if I care anymore after what the jury did with Rayden and Tanxugueiras.
2nd semi is very mediocre apart from two or three. Cannot stand hey mama
Benidorm Fest needs to rethink their scoring system for 2023. It won’t make much difference this year, because Rigoberta seems to be the only one with all sections of voting firmly behind her. But the way the percentages are right now, a popular act with a non-challenging sound (which is not exactly Rigoberta’s case, to be fair) can become unbeatable.
javiera mena ROBBED!
The demoscopic giving the most points to the music video was a choice.
The two standouts to me are Chanel and Rayden. I think Spain would see their best result with one of them. Rigoberta and Tanxugueiras both seemed like they didn’t know how to translate their songs to stage and it’s asking a lot of the public to say “vote for me and we’ll fix it before May.” Blanca is a dark horse for sure. I don’t care for her song, but there’s something in her performance that if she gets it just right could really surprise. All the others don’t seem like contenders now.
Couldn’t agree more, I do worry for the competitiveness of Blanca but beautiful song nonetheless.
Ruth Lorenzo was the best tonight!
In most of the performances there was something missing in my opinion.
I think that still blanca paloma and Chanel had the best performances.
please come back Ruth. She was better than any of them
first semi head and shoulders above car crash 2nd
Holy moly. Forget the Benidorm Fest and send Ruth Lorenzo again!!! What a queen!!!
What a complicated night for vocal performances. I wonder if Gonzalo will benefit from it.
Rayden had my favorite song of Benidorm already and his performance was very convincing to me. Still not perfect, but his stage presence is great and the use of live backing vocals was a big yes for me. Rigoberta got more comfortable during her performance, but I don’t know if this staging is the right way to translate her song…
Along with them, I would definitely move Javiera forward because of the song, even if her performance was a little iffy.
OK, putting Ruth Lorenzo to belt after this semifinal is almost like doing bullying. 😀
Judging by his other performances, and that the staging likely wouldn’t be heavy in choreography, I assume that Gonzalo would have performed very well. I am not sure how this will go for him now. I can see people supporting him for being ill, and the juries giving him points even just for eliminating those with weaker vocal performances, or alternatively ignoring a song they cannot rate in the exact same way. It might set a precedant for this NF season. I hope no more cases like this come, but these are some unsure times we live in.
It’s extremely hard to judge his entry when all the other performances were live. If we feel that as an audience, imagine how uncomfortable it will be for the jurors.
Absolutely. Even I, who mostly judge by song overall, and to whom live performance rarely when adds or detracts more than one or two points tops, have some issues with it. I may imagine how much of an issue it must be for people who mostly judge by how it comes across on stage. Very difficult to put in perspective.
don’t think regular non-spanish viewers will get it.
I would say RTVE will have to work on making “Ay Mamá” part of the conversation, so people outside Spain can know ahead of her performance why she got all the buzz there.
My Top 4 for tonight:
But overall it has to be Tanxugueiras!
Rigoberta really brought something interesting, honest, and provocative, but in a gentle way. I think that she is safely in the finals. I love Gonzalo’s song, and while I’m sad he didn’t get to perform live tonight, I hope that his clip gave the feels to enough people for him to qualify. Rayden’s CDLL is pretty engaging in live, and he’s such a charismatic performer. The backing vocal parts sound somewhat different, but they still work. Javiera did okay. I feel like it could have been even more “out there”, but it was fine. Sara performed well, even if I… Read more »
Okay my final top 3 is now clear:
Now is the time where both Ay Mamers and Tanxugueirers try to pretend that the other act had the messier staging…I’m so excited to see this comment section burning in flames lmao
A lot going on with Rayden, but I think there’s an idea there that could be refined. Not sure it elevates the song, but it was still quite fun. I also appreciated that it was without loud pre-recorded backing vocals.
With Rigoberta I have the same feeling as Marta, love the song to bits, performance wise quite weird, but she sang much better
Okay….. ay mama… ehm convince me that was not the female version of Germany 2021? Song is still okay I guess, but what the … was happening around it.
very subpar
The finish of Ay Mama was great. For me the winner so far. I loved the big tit 😀
Oh Rigo. Rigo noooo.
Javiera… Is it just me or was she so nervous?
I love Marta’s song so much but man that performance… Welp not my taste really
While everyone is waiting for Rigoberta van titty to perform, I am looking forward for Javiera’s performance.
stupid song. 1st semi much better
Does the winner of today automatically qualify for the Finals in Eurovision in Turin?
My preliminary qualifiers are Rayden, Gonzalo Hermida, Xeinn, and Rigoberta Bandini. I am open to the other three elevating their songs too.
Well, after rehearsals, Spanish press is literally crazy about Rigoberta and Rayden. Ufff, I am SO MUCH looking forward. If this is so, my vote will definitely go to Rayden, because if the stagings are equally good, I prefer his song. Let’s see.
I’ve seen a lot of comments about how emotional Rigo’s performance is. If she can make that work for people who don’t understand Spanish, she’ll have really pulled it off. That’s my biggest question mark and doubt.
Javiera Mena, Rayden and Rigoberta must qualify! They are the best ones in this semifinal. And Xeinn, probably, I guess. But his song just drips of Swedishness, which I’m not sure is a good thing or not. I can’t wait to see all of the stagings. But most probably, I won’t be able to watch BF, since it starts at 3:00 am for me (I slept off during the first semifinal) I just have to watch the performances later, I guess. Anyway, all the best to the participants!
I just hope for a drama free result so Chanel can easily win on the final. Spanish eurofans are beyond toxic, their country has for the first time in years a high quality national final and they threaten jury members because they put tanxugueiras second to last. I guess they are addicted to bottom 5, Chanel’s top notch performance is not their cup of tea
first semi much much stronger
The only hope spain have is if they choose Xeinn .anything else won’t do nothing at eurovision
Tell that to Michael Rice and Sisters. Their songs were Swedish produced and you saw what happened
Sister was produced by canadian Laurell barker?
Not just by her. There were Swedes involved as well (and she lives in Sweden).
i’ll be shocked if RIGoberta and rayden aren’t tonight’s top 2. i’d say all the others have pretty equal chances at qualifying, while these two are safe.
I’m really excited for Culpa. I’ve seen people say that Javiera isn’t great at performing live, so it should be interesting.
He is number 1 just because of his looks, which is terrible since you can get a whole lot sexier men from Azerbaijan! Look at 2019, so good looking man with an amazing song?
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
As someone actually from Azerbaijan, I can only say “What in the actual hell are your comments?” Also, Rayden looks great, but either way he’s liked because his song is one of the best in the Spanish NF.
what is this comment lol
Don’t be stupid, you moron. Looks have nothing to do with good song.
If looks determine the winner, Uku Suviste would’ve ended up in the top 10 of last year’s Eurovision. But we all know what happened.
I cannot wait to see Raydens staging! I have high hopes 🙂 !!
Yo tambien (Me too)
Great artist and lyrics (but a challenge even for people who can speak Spanish as a foreign language, I´m from Germany)
I’m glad it’s not just me that struggles with Rayden’s song as a Spanish second language speaker. I can get every other Spanish song but it’s quite hard to keep up…
CDLL is my favourite, the lyrics are very fun and enjoyable even though I don’t know spanish, that’s a very good trait that I feel like rigoberta lacks
Imagine if Javiera or Sara did a Chanel, one of them come with an outstanding performance and win the semi 2, it would be epic, iconic but it would be an eurodrama, el eurodrama que tu quieres.
But after all each contestants have the right to win and the jurors to like who they want.
Rayden and Rigoberta have almost the same numbers of votes in both cases.
I think this semi 2 is more interesting, looking forward for the stagings of Xeinn, Rigoberta, Rayden and Javiera.
I don´t like Xeinn and this swedish crap.
I Iove it! And it’s not because it’s swedish that it’s a crap, stop with this useless and systematic hate towards specific countries, it makes the atmosphere here unhealthy, ty.
Still have to understand all the hype of the Spanish fanbase tbh
After Chanel being a total outsider yesterday, I’m hoping for Rayden to come out as tonight’s winner. He would totally deserve it.
Not an outsider for me. I mentioned many times that Chanel is the best choice for ESC. It is current, entertaining and exactly what ESC fanbase likes.
Don’t forget that it sounds like any other stereotypical Spanish song on the radio. It’d be guaranteed to fall flat in Turin should it win
all these spanish entries that flopped the last decade did not sound like stereotypical spanish songs on the radio and they did remarkably bad.
if javiera mena doesn’t qualify i’ll cry
she must. This is my guilty pleasure.